WEATHER ALERT
11 charged in dismantling of Orange County street gang after fentanyl overdose deaths
Read full article: 11 charged in dismantling of Orange County street gang after fentanyl overdose deathsEleven people have been indicted in what Orange-Osceola State Attorney Andrew Bain said was the successful dismantling of a fentanyl-peddling street gang, effaced from Orange County with help from the sheriff’s office and Orlando police.
Man convicted of 1st-degree murder after selling fentanyl tied to Marion County overdose death
Read full article: Man convicted of 1st-degree murder after selling fentanyl tied to Marion County overdose deathA 2021 overdose death in Marion County has since led to a guilty verdict of first-degree murder for the man who sold the fatal dose of fentanyl to the victim, according to the local state attorney’s office.
‘Every single life matters:’ Naloxone Awareness Day promotes awareness of life-saving medications
Read full article: ‘Every single life matters:’ Naloxone Awareness Day promotes awareness of life-saving medicationsOrange County is recognizing the push for life-saving medication in the ongoing fight against the opioid epidemic.
Polk County sheriff announces agency’s largest-ever seizure of fentanyl; 4 arrested, 1 wanted
Read full article: Polk County sheriff announces agency’s largest-ever seizure of fentanyl; 4 arrested, 1 wantedAccording to the sheriff’s office, the investigation involved a trafficking ring bringing fentanyl from Mexico into Polk County and other parts of Florida.
6 arrested in drug bust at vacant Holly Hill home, sheriff’s office says
Read full article: 6 arrested in drug bust at vacant Holly Hill home, sheriff’s office saysSix people were arrested in Holly Hill when law enforcement moved in on a vacant home where suspected narcotics activity was taking place, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
Florida man faces drug charges after woman’s suspected overdose death, deputies say
Read full article: Florida man faces drug charges after woman’s suspected overdose death, deputies sayVolusia County deputies have arrested a man accused of selling drugs to a woman who died of a suspected overdose fewer than 48 hours prior.
Ex-Philippines leader Duterte assails Marcos, accusing him of plotting to expand grip on power
Read full article: Ex-Philippines leader Duterte assails Marcos, accusing him of plotting to expand grip on powerFormer Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is throwing allegations at his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and even raising the prospect of removing him from office.
In Mexico, Yellen announces economics sanctions as the US aims to crack down on fentanyl trafficking
Read full article: In Mexico, Yellen announces economics sanctions as the US aims to crack down on fentanyl traffickingTreasury Secretary Janet Yellen has announced economic sanctions against 15 people and two companies that the United States says are linked to a Mexican drug cartel.
Officials stock up on overdose antidote naloxone after fentanyl-laced letters disrupt vote counting
Read full article: Officials stock up on overdose antidote naloxone after fentanyl-laced letters disrupt vote countingElection officials around the country are stocking up on the overdose reversal medication naloxone after a series of suspicious mailings — some containing traces of fentanyl — were sent to vote centers or government buildings in six states.
Central Florida elections offices want Narcan in case of fentanyl letters
Read full article: Central Florida elections offices want Narcan in case of fentanyl lettersLocal elections offices around the country have received letters containing fentanyl in the last few months, and the supervisor of elections in Seminole County says he is taking no chances with his workers.
Local election workers have been under siege since 2020. Now they face fentanyl-laced letters
Read full article: Local election workers have been under siege since 2020. Now they face fentanyl-laced lettersThreatening letters sent to local election offices in at least five states, some including fentanyl, are the latest concern for local election workers around the country.
The US sanctions Mexican Sinaloa cartel members and firms over fentanyl trafficking
Read full article: The US sanctions Mexican Sinaloa cartel members and firms over fentanyl traffickingThe Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on 13 members of Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa cartel and four Mexico-based firms accused of trafficking fentanyl into the United States.
Your Florida Daily: Undercover drug operation seizes 10 kilos of fentanyl, dog-friendly beach opens in Ormond Beach
Read full article: Your Florida Daily: Undercover drug operation seizes 10 kilos of fentanyl, dog-friendly beach opens in Ormond BeachA carjacking in Duval County leads to a high-speed chase and ends with the driver dead.
US government says it plans to go after legal goods tied to illegal fentanyl trade in new strategy
Read full article: US government says it plans to go after legal goods tied to illegal fentanyl trade in new strategyThe U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced a new government-wide strategy that will target not only fentanyl but precursor materials used to make the synthetic opioid.
US announces sweeping action against Chinese fentanyl supply chain producers
Read full article: US announces sweeping action against Chinese fentanyl supply chain producersThe Biden administration is taking aim at the fentanyl trafficking threat, announcing a series of indictments and sanctions against Chinese companies and executives blamed for importing the chemicals used to make the deadly drug.
Families of those killed by fentanyl gather at DEA as US undergoes deadliest overdose crisis
Read full article: Families of those killed by fentanyl gather at DEA as US undergoes deadliest overdose crisisAbout 150 people from families who have lost a loved one to fentanyl poisoning have gathered at the headquarters of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the U.S. faces its deadliest overdose crisis.
Mexico shutters 23 pharmacies at Caribbean coast resorts after US warned of dangerous pill sales
Read full article: Mexico shutters 23 pharmacies at Caribbean coast resorts after US warned of dangerous pill salesMexico has closed 23 pharmacies at Caribbean coast resorts, six months after a research report warned that drug stores in Mexico were offering foreigners pills they passed off as Oxycodone, Percocet, and Adderall.
Animal sedative ‘zombie drug’ showing up in Orange County
Read full article: Animal sedative ‘zombie drug’ showing up in Orange CountyThe sheriff’s office in Orange County says it is seeing more of a powerful animal sedative in seized fentanyl, and is warning the public because the drug is not receptive to overdose medications.
Lifesaving fentanyl test strips still illegal in some states under '70s-era war on drugs law
Read full article: Lifesaving fentanyl test strips still illegal in some states under '70s-era war on drugs lawA growing number of states are decriminalizing fentanyl testing strips, seeking to protect people who use drugs from unwitting exposure to the highly potent synthetic opioid ravaging the U.S. with overdose deaths.
El Chapo's son, Sinaloa members face sanctions over fentanyl
Read full article: El Chapo's son, Sinaloa members face sanctions over fentanylThe United States has sanctioned a son of Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, three members of the Sinaloa cartel and two Mexican-based firms, alleging they trafficked fentanyl and other drugs into the U.S. Tuesday's sanctions came the day Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador talked with President Joe Biden about immigration and the fentanyl crisis.
Author of book on grieving death charged with murder
Read full article: Author of book on grieving death charged with murderA Utah woman who wrote a children’s book about dealing with grief after her husband died last year was charged with his murder by prosecutors who say the man died from a fentanyl overdose.
More sanctions for deadly fentanyl if bill becomes law
Read full article: More sanctions for deadly fentanyl if bill becomes lawOver the course of a year, the U.S. Treasury Department has used the hammer of its sanctions powers to impose wide-ranging financial restrictions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine, turning Russia into the most sanctioned country in the world.
Seminole County sheriff explains how over-the-counter Narcan can help reverse opioid overdoses
Read full article: Seminole County sheriff explains how over-the-counter Narcan can help reverse opioid overdosesExperts say making Narcan available over the counter is a critical step in managing the ongoing epidemic, which claimed the lives of more than 80,000 Americans in 2021.
Brevard man accused of selling fentanyl that led to lethal overdose, sheriff says
Read full article: Brevard man accused of selling fentanyl that led to lethal overdose, sheriff saysA Brevard County man arrested this week, accused of first-degree murder in the January 2021 overdose death of a victim who investigators said he sold fentanyl to, is being held without bond this time around, according to Sheriff Wayne Ivey.
Fentanyl caused ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ rapper Coolio’s death
Read full article: Fentanyl caused ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ rapper Coolio’s deathThe Los Angeles County coroner’s office says “Gangsta’s Paradise” rapper Coolio suffered an accidental death from the effects of fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine last year.
Man sentenced to 30 years in prison after being convicted of manslaughter for deadly fentanyl overdose in Flagler County
Read full article: Man sentenced to 30 years in prison after being convicted of manslaughter for deadly fentanyl overdose in Flagler CountyJevante Hamilton, who was convicted of manslaughter for the fentanyl overdose death of another man, was sentenced to 30 years in prison, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
‘We’re finding fentanyl mixed into almost every single drug out there,’ Orange County sheriff says
Read full article: ‘We’re finding fentanyl mixed into almost every single drug out there,’ Orange County sheriff saysOrange County Sheriff John Mina said they are finding fentanyl in just about every type of street drug now, including cannabis.
Broward teacher banned from working with students after her 1-year-old son dies of drug poisoning
Read full article: Broward teacher banned from working with students after her 1-year-old son dies of drug poisoningThe mother of a 1-year-old boy who is behind bars after her son died from drug poisoning is also facing major repercussions at her job.
Florida Sen. Rick Scott, sheriffs discuss fentanyl crisis during roundtable in Daytona Beach
Read full article: Florida Sen. Rick Scott, sheriffs discuss fentanyl crisis during roundtable in Daytona BeachSen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and several Florida sheriffs on Thursday discussed the fentanyl crisis and other issues at a roundtable in Daytona Beach.
‘I couldn’t breathe:’ Tavares officer who overdosed in traffic stop recounts fentanyl exposure
Read full article: ‘I couldn’t breathe:’ Tavares officer who overdosed in traffic stop recounts fentanyl exposureA Tavares police officer who was revived with NARCAN after being exposed to fentanyl during a traffic stop is speaking about her experience.
Video shows Tavares officer overdose after being exposed to fentanyl during traffic stop
Read full article: Video shows Tavares officer overdose after being exposed to fentanyl during traffic stopA Tavares police officer overdosed and was transported to the hospital after being exposed to fentanyl Tuesday during a traffic stop, according to the department.
Fugitive arrested in Flagler County after found asleep in truck with 338 grams of fentanyl, deputies say
Read full article: Fugitive arrested in Flagler County after found asleep in truck with 338 grams of fentanyl, deputies sayA fugitive from Georgia was arrested in Palm Coast after he was found asleep in a truck with enough fentanyl that could “potentially kill the entire populations of Flagler and Putnam counties,” according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Man in Palm Coast found with enough fentanyl to kill over 100,000 people, deputies say
Read full article: Man in Palm Coast found with enough fentanyl to kill over 100,000 people, deputies sayA 52-year-old man was arrested Wednesday after deputies found him with enough fentanyl to "potentially kill over 100,000 people," according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
Florida attorney general urges President Biden to classify fentanyl as WMD
Read full article: Florida attorney general urges President Biden to classify fentanyl as WMDIn response to a growing trend of fentanyl-related overdoses, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody called upon President Biden Monday to classify fentanyl as a Weapon of Mass Destruction.
13 arrested in drug trafficking investigation of fentanyl, cocaine distribution
Read full article: 13 arrested in drug trafficking investigation of fentanyl, cocaine distributionThirteen people were arrested as suspects of a drug trafficking organization that distributes fentanyl and cocaine, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Rural Florida county shocked by fentanyl deaths over holiday
Read full article: Rural Florida county shocked by fentanyl deaths over holidayA small, rural county just west of Florida’s capital is stunned by an unheard-of spike in deadly drug overdoses believed to be caused by fentanyl mixed with other illegal drugs.
Over 3 lbs. of fentanyl seized in Lake County’s largest operation, detectives say
Read full article: Over 3 lbs. of fentanyl seized in Lake County’s largest operation, detectives sayFentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, marijuana and more were seized in what detectives are calling the largest fentanyl bust in Lake County history.
‘People are dying:’ Volusia sheriff explains uptick in drug-related deaths
Read full article: ‘People are dying:’ Volusia sheriff explains uptick in drug-related deathsRecent reports out of Volusia County show an uptick in drug-related deaths countywide — a trend that Sheriff Mike Chitwood said could be traced back to a ‘porous’ border, drug-smuggling cartels and an abundance of fentanyl.
Ocala man arrested for selling meth, fentanyl, cocaine, agents say
Read full article: Ocala man arrested for selling meth, fentanyl, cocaine, agents sayAn Ocala man was arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking after investigators found dozens of containers with drugs throughout his home, according to an arrest affidavit by the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team.
Treating substance use disorder during a mental health crisis
Read full article: Treating substance use disorder during a mental health crisisThe latest initiative to promote Mental Health Awareness Month has brought several alarming statistics to light, including the record number of drug overdose deaths in 2021.
Drug overdose deaths up again in Central Florida in 2021, Project Opioid says
Read full article: Drug overdose deaths up again in Central Florida in 2021, Project Opioid saysProject Opioid is set to discuss the latest overdose crisis data at the Citrus Club in Orlando Thursday morning, organizers announced.
Busted drug-trafficking ring was being operated out of Orange County Jail, officials say
Read full article: Busted drug-trafficking ring was being operated out of Orange County Jail, officials say“Operation Icarus" identified a group responsible for trafficking cocaine and thousands of fentanyl pills throughout Central Florida.
Arrest made in fentanyl overdoses of West Point cadets in Florida
Read full article: Arrest made in fentanyl overdoses of West Point cadets in FloridaPolice have made an arrest in connection with the fentanyl overdoses of a group of U.S. Military Academy cadets and others at a Florida vacation home during spring break.
Palm Coast man given 15 year prison sentence for manslaughter in overdose death
Read full article: Palm Coast man given 15 year prison sentence for manslaughter in overdose deathA Palm Coast man was given a 15-year prison sentence Tuesday for manslaughter in the opioid overdose death of someone who Flagler County investigators said he sold fentanyl to.
Orlando police sergeant speaks out after fentanyl exposure while on duty
Read full article: Orlando police sergeant speaks out after fentanyl exposure while on dutyIn front of the Orange County Opioid Advisory Committee, Sergeant Stephen Marra with the Orlando Police Department explained how six officers ended up at the hospital on Wednesday.
Drug dealer arrested after 3 die from fentanyl overdose, Orlando police say
Read full article: Drug dealer arrested after 3 die from fentanyl overdose, Orlando police sayA man accused of killing three others via fentanyl overdose after he sold them the drug when they thought they were purchasing cocaine has been arrested, Orlando police said Friday.
Detectives find drugs, gun, cash inside Clermont family’s home
Read full article: Detectives find drugs, gun, cash inside Clermont family’s homeCLERMONT, Fla. – Two people are behind bars after authorities in Lake County found drugs and firearms during a drug bust at a Clermont home. Law enforcement from the Clermont, Eustis, and Leesburg Police Departments worked to serve a search warrant Friday on a suspected drug house. “The investigation began as the result of numerous citizen complaints that drugs were being dealt at the home,” deputies said. “Detectives seized a 2015 custom Dodge Charger, a 2003 Ford van, a 2015 Dodge Durango, and a 2014 custom Ford F-350, as well as the large amount of cash that was located,” detectives said. The Department of Children and Families was brought in to take care of the children living in the home with dangerous drugs including Fentanyl.